Stolen water buffalo head dropped off at fire station with apology note

A $2,800 piece of art taken from a Devine Street shop Tuesday was discovered in front of a Columbia fire station Wednesday morning.

According to the Columbia Police Department, the hand-carved water buffalo head was found by a firefighter around 6 a.m. at the Shandon Fire Station at 2847 Devine Street.

The store's manager, Denise Cullier, says an apology note was also left with the head.

"I never expected to see it again," said Cullier.

The anonymous delivery occurred just a few blocks away from Bohemian Home, where a man walked out with the piece of art in broad daylight Tuesday afternoon.

The incident was recorded on the store's surveillance system.

According to Cullier, a white male and white female entered the store, grabbed the art piece, and ran out the door.

"We had several couples in the store," said Cullier at the time of the theft. "The next thing I knew, they were running out of the store, and I noticed that there was something in the man's hands."

"It's really difficult because we have had very poor sales during the bad economic period," said Cullier. "I don't want anything terrible to happen to him, but it was wrong. The carved skull he took, it's a one-of-a-kind piece that can't be replaced and I'm just tired of being robbed."

The man is bald and was wearing a yellow and blue shirt with a blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans. The woman, who allegedly drove the getaway car, was wearing pink pants with a gray Hollister sweatshirt.

After processing the buffalo head for evidence, it was returned to the shop owners.

Despite the fact that the art is now back to its rightful owners, the people responsible for the theft are not out of the woods. Police still plan to identify and charge them.

If you know can identify the man and woman in the video or know anything about this theft, you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

Some Georgia lawmakers are proposing to stamp Georiga driver's licenses with the word "noncitizen" for people with temporary permission to be in the U.S. Immigration advocates are keeping a close eye on this bill. Republican Rep. Alan Powell of Hartwell is sponsoring the bill, while GOP State Senator Frank Ginn of Danielsville wants licenses issued to people who don't have U.S. citizenship to be printed vertically, rather than horizontally. Copyright 2017 WTOC. ...

Some Georgia lawmakers are proposing to stamp Georiga driver's licenses with the word "noncitizen" for people with temporary permission to be in the U.S. Immigration advocates are keeping a close eye on this bill. Republican Rep. Alan Powell of Hartwell is sponsoring the bill, while GOP State Senator Frank Ginn of Danielsville wants licenses issued to people who don't have U.S. citizenship to be printed vertically, rather than horizontally. Copyright 2017 WTOC. ...